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To the Chairman and Members of the
Urban District Council of Southall-Norwood.
Mr. Chairman, I,adies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my second Annual Report on the health
and sanitary circumstances of the district.
The vital statistics show that in the middle of 1935 the population of
the district was estimated by the Registrar-General as 48,270. Before the
Registrar-General's estimate was received an overcrowding survey took place,
in December 1935, in which almost all the dwelling houses were included, and
which therefore, with an allowance for those houses not surveyed, gave a fairly
accurate estimation of the population. This was found to be 49,000, which
corresponds very closely with the Registrar-General's estimate of 48,270 six
months earlier, and is therefore probably for all practical purposes correct. In
1935 the Birth Rate was 16.76 per thousand population (against 16.25 in 1934
and 15.74 in 1933). There has thus for the third year in succession been an
increase in the birth rate, and this is probably due to the relatively young
population of a district which is still growing fairly rapidly. The crude Death
Rate was 8.25 per thousand population (against 7.49 and 8.64), and the infant
mortality rate was just under 47 per thousand births (against 46 and 44).
These figures compare favourably with the grouped results of other areas in
England and Wales (see Table 3 on page 13), but it must be remembered that
with a young and growing population the birth rate tends to be on the high side
of the average, and the death rate tends to be on the low side of the average.
These figures will undoubtedly gradually approach the average as the
population becomes more stable.
During the year the maternity services were reviewed and considerable
additions and expansions were made (see page 31). The new services did not
come into operation until almost the end of the calendar year, and therefore it
is too early to speak of results. In any case it must not be thought that
spectacular results will occur merely through the increase of maternity services.
All that can be hoped for is that by strengthening each link in the chain of
supervision, a comprehensive service will eventually be attained which will give
the greatest margin of safety to those undertaking the normal function of
pregnancy and childbirth.
In connection with maternity services generally, plans progressed during
the year for the erection of a Branch Centre to replace the hired premises
which are now in use. It is hoped that this branch centre will be available in
the spring or summer of 1937.
During the year proposals for a scheme of diphtheria immunisation were
put forward and received the approval of the Ministry of Health. This scheme
will be backed with a certain amount of propaganda, but the experience of other
authorities has shown that even with an extreme amount of propaganda
insufficient children are voluntarily immunised to make any significant effect on
the number of cases of diphtheria which occur. It is probable that the
intensity and exaggeration of commercial advertising has prevented
the average person from accepting the literal truth of anything which
is put before him as propaganda or advertisement. When, therefore, a scientific
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